BBC Wednesday, 5 September, 2001, 11:27 GMT 12:27 UK Pet cancer trials planned Dr David Argyle: Gene therapy is just one approach

Researchers in Scotland plan to start trials of gene therapy in dogs and cats with tumours.

They hope the work will lead to new ways of treating human cancers.

Trials on several hundred animals are due to begin next year. It is the first time that such a treatment has been offered to pets in the UK.

Dr David Argyle, of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Glasgow University, said humans might well benefit from the work.

"The disease very much mimics what goes on in people," he told the BBC. "It may be that the therapeutic trials that we do are going to reflect better what is going to happen in people when these trials go on in human medicine."

Cancer target

The animals will be given an experimental treatment for mouth, bone and lymph cancers.

Compressed helium in a "gene gun" will fire foreign DNA into the target tumours. The products of the new genes will hopefully then cause the cancerous cells to commit suicide.

In the first stage of the trials, therapeutic genes will be targeted at the tumours found in dogs.

The animal has the highest rates of cancer for all the domestic species. One in three dogs get some form of cancer during their lifetime (much the same as humans), with most having to be put down.

"In the first instance this will be an adjunct to more conventional treatments," Dr Argyle said. "We don't think gene therapy is going to be the be-all-and-end-all cure. Where it is going to have its greatest impact is in the earliest stages of disease."

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

Answers

this still is very painful for us...but what Shadow had, all 4 oncologist agreed, that no matter HOW agreeively we fought this tumor...it had what they called "fingers" and nothing would get them all....and that although he was in no pain, it was a very rapid, (As we well knew) growing..distructive tumor. if they can study this stuff and make this world a better place, May God Bless their work. (BTW..the vets said..that what he had was such a fluke......1 in 250,000 domestic pets would even get it.)

the more I sit and reflect...not knowing his background..(he FOUND us)...I am thinking he may have had many generations of inbreeding.....just trying to make alittle sense out of a painful situation is all.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

SAR, our sweet old Nelson died on the operating table when we were trying to help him with his kidney cancer, very similar to the one you describe. We think he was around 12 or 14.

Like most of our cats, he had a deprived childhood and came from a wretched neighborhood in Norfolk. We often wonder if it was something he drank, maybe something he ate in his wretched early days. Maybe genetic, who knows? But he lives on in one of the young 'uns we have. No, not one of his but he taught her how to race down the hallway, veer into the bedroom and go whump! on the bed, looking very pleased with herself. The only difference is we now have a regular bed instead of the water bed and it's not nearly as much fun for her. Nelson also taught her to sit in Sweetie's shower and whine for a cup of water!

Animals get cancer just like humans do, apparently, and probably for similar reasons: environmental and genetic. Remember, they're not built to live as old as they do these days (just like us), so any years over eight or so are a big bonus.

As with any rescued cat, also remember that if it hadn't been for you guys poor old Shadow would have had a miserable end out there somewhere. We figure Mojo enjoyed a couple of months of kindness and security and didn't have to end his days "out there," maybe on a freezing night and at the mercy of racoons and dogs. They're lucky cats and dogs, the ones who find you an' me!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001